Mechanism for recovering and ar



Jan. 26, 1943. l

F. MOORE 2,309,471

MECHANISM FOR RECOVERING AND ARRANGING SPILJ MATCHES FROM MATCH. PACKERS Filed Deo. 4, 194C 3` Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 26, 1943. F. MOORE 2,309,471

MCHANISM FOR RECOVERING AND ARRANGING SPILL MATCHES FROM MATCH PACKERS Filed Dec. 4, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 25, TLQ/--. F MQQRE 2,309,471

MECHANISM FOR RECOVERING AND ARRANGING SPILL MATCHES FROM MATCH PACKERS Filed Dec. 4, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 26, 1943 MECHANISM Fon BECOVERI'NG Am) RANGING SPILL MATCHES FROM MATCH PACKERS Franklin Moore, Oshkosh, Wis. A Application December 4, 1940, Serial No. 368,481

7 Claims.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of simple and en'icient mechanism whereby the stray matches, 'or spill, from 'a match packing machine are collected and progressively returned to and uniformly deposited in the match feeder element of the machine, Vwith the heads of the matches pointing in the same direction as those in the feeder and whereby also the slivers and broken matches included inthe spill are eliminated therefrom.

With this object in View, and other objects, my invention comprises novel features of construction and combinations of parts which, in a preferred form, will be hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being expressed in the appended claims.

vIn the drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of match spill handling mechanism embodying my invention, showing the mechanism in its operative relation to the feeder trough, table and tray conveyer of a match packing machine, the trough being in cross-section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through portions of juxtaposed chutes which are included in said mechanism and are adapted to eliminate slivers and broken matches lfrom the spill in its return progress to the feeder trough, and adapted also to arrange the remaining matches with their heads pointing in the same direction.

Fig'. 3 'is 'a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. l, the feeder trough of the packer being partially broken away for clearness, and the elements at the tray filling station being in sectional elevation.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section in a plane above the match feeder trough and through the .spill elevator, as on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a collecting hopper and contained pocketed feed wheel overlying the trough,` a portion of which trough, together with an underlying hopper into which the stray matches are vdischarged from the slotted oor of the trough, being shown.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of a pair of stripper blades vfor the pocketed feed Wheel.

vReferring to the drawings, I0 designates the rapidly vibrating inclined feeder trough of a typical match packing machine, into the higher end of which trough matches (M) produced by an adjacent match making machine are delivered, passing thence, in bulk, to spaced depending measuring chambers from which they are discharged near the lower end of the trough. One of the chambers, I I, together with its reciproeating cut-oir slide l2, is shown in Fig. 3. The chambers overhang the respective vruns of an intermittently-movable horizontal conveyor I3 which `is supported and guided on Vthe packer table 14. The 4conve'yer is provided with upstanding spaced match tray holders l5 that 'are advanced by the 'conveyor in a manner to position the contained box trays T under Vthe succeeding overlying measuring chambers respectively. The bottom of the vibrating trough is provided at its sides, somewhat in advance ofthe measuring chambers, with longitudinal slots 'It through which escape stray matches that are caused to work down to and extend along the sides of r'the bottom, all as disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,016,436 dated February 1912. In the case of overlled trays in the holders of the lconveyor the excess matches in .the trays -spill upon the table, Which matches, as Well as those escaping 'through the` bottom slots of the trough, are known as spilL According 'to my invention an elevator is .pro- Videdrwhereby the dropping spill -is intercepted at a level 'below the .packer table and carried thence to a level above that off the feeder trough, which elevator, in the form shown, comprises an endless 'flexible lband l1 having transverse buck-V ets or flights i8 at intervals thereon. This band passes about wheels 1'9, whereof the parallel shafts 20 and 2| arejournaled in bearings at the lower and upper ends respectively of an upright housing supported by a suitable bracket 22 bolted to the packer table. 'TheY housing `embodies spaced .parallel side walls 23 in and between which the shafts 20 and 2| of the wheels I9 are mounted. The shaft 20 of `the upper Wheel has fast thereon la sheave 24 which is operatively connected 'by means of a belt 25 with a sheave 26 having an extended hub 21 loose 'on a lower stud shaft 28 `projecting from the `bracket 22. The hub 21 is also'yprovided with a sprocket wheel 30 which is suitably driven vfrom -a shaft of the packing machine.A .Hence motion is transmitted through the belt 25 `and sheaves 24, -26 to the upper shaft l2li land its Wheel i9, thereby continuously driving the elevator band .in the direction*indicatednbylthe dotted arrow at the bottom lof Fig. l. The hub 27| also bears a small sheave 74 the function of which will presently appear. A l* l Secured to the housing Walls 23 are the Walls of upperand lower hoppers 3l and 312, respectively, `in lateral communication With the upward path of Vthe velevator lflights. The vupper `hopper 3l is situated directly under the slotted bottom portion of the feeder trough I as seen, thus receiving the escaping spill at this location; and the lower hopper 32 is situated in a plane below that of the packer table I4 so that the spill deposited on the packer table may be directed to the latter hopper through a downwardly inclined chute 33 extending from the table.

From the foregoing it willbe seen that the spill delivered to the respective hoppers 31 and` upper end of a chute which receives V4the matches `discharged from the tray, and which chute is supported by a bracket 31 fixed on the adjacent wall of the elevator housing so asto decline toward one side of the feeder trough. The `bottom of the chute 36 is provided with spaced longitudinal partitions 38 thatl afford a series of match guiding channels, each of less width than the length of an ordinary match in order that the matches ,delivered to and contained in the chute 36 shall assume and maintain a lengthwise position. In the bottom of the chute 35 and within an area less lengthwise of the chute 36 than the length of a match, are spaced transverse slots 39 over which stray matches of full length freely glide in their descent within the guide channels of the chute, while the slivers and broken matches drop through the slots 39 into an underlying downwardly extending waste chute 40 which is attached to the chute 35 by a tie-member 4|. Also formed in the bottom of the chute 36, short of its lower end, is a larger transverse slot 42 through whichdrops the leading head of each of the descending matches, when the head overhangs the slot 42 sufciently to overcome the center of gravity of the match. If, however, the head of a descending match in the chute should be pointing rearwardly the stickend of the match will slide over and beyond the slot 42 until the trailing head is unsupported, whereupon the match will fall head downward through the slot (see Figs.1 and 2).

The lower end of the chute 35 overhangs the upper end portion of a lower chute 43 which also declines toward the feeder trough l0, and which chute 43 is supported by means of brackets 44 and 45 `which'are secured to the waste chute 40 and the elevator housing, respectively.

Thechute 43 terminates in a lower laterally,

constricted delivery portion 45 leading to an opening 41 in the side wall of a hopper-like receptacle 48 located directlyA over the feeder trough of the packer somewhat in advance of the longitudinal slots I6 of the trough, as shown, which wall is preferably provided adjacent the opening with a mouth piece 49 into which the delivery portion 46 of the chute 43 extends. f

The bottom of the chute '43 is provided with a central partition 50 that eXtends from a position rearward of the lower slot 42 in the overlying chute 35 to a position short of the delivery end of the constricted portion 46, thus providing in the chute 43 two longitudinal channels into which the stray matches, heads downward, drop from the slot 42. Since the heads'of the matches, upon striking the sloping oor of the chute 43,

are directedtoward the constricteddelivery end of the latter, such matches, heads leading, slide longitudinally down and are discharged from the chute 43. Consequently the stray matches arranged in parallelism and with all their heads pointing in the same direction as those of the matches contained in the packer trough are introduced in and transversely of the receptacle 48 over the trough. (See Figs. 4 and 5.)

The'receptacle 48 comprises two spaced side walls 5l and an inclined backwall 52 therebetween, the latter terminating in a lower vertical portion 53 having a rearwardly extending ledge or flange 54. The side walls are conveniently secured to the back by cross-bolts 55, and are also connected at their forward ends by cross-bolts 56 and complementary spacer members 51. The receptacle is firmly supported independently of the vibratory feeder trough l0 by asuitable bracket 58 whereof the base 59 is fastened to the adjacent side plate of the elevator housing, which housing in this location is equipped with spacer bars 60. The outer end of the bracket extends adjacent one side of the receptacle and supports a bearing block 6l having a flanged end portion 62 which is bolted to one side of the receptacle. The block affords a bearing for a shaft 63 which extends through and is seated in a bearing in the opposite side of the receptacle. The portion of the shaft 63 within the receptacle has fast thereon a suitable transfer element comprising a wheel 64 having a succession of corresponding peripheral scooplike pockets 65, each of which, in the clockwise rotation of the wheel, gathers up a quantity of the collected matches in the receptacle and transfers them to and within the open top of the feeder trough l0 in parallelism with and in similar head arrangement to the contents of the trough progressing toward the spill discharge portion of the trough.

An arcuate band 66 secured to a suitably-disposed bridge bar 61 on the receptacle depends adjacent the outer or descending path of the transfer wheel pockets and slightly below the open top of the feeder trough, thus, during the rotation of the wheel, serving as a guard to confine the matches in each succeeding pocket until they are delivered to the trough.

The shaft 63 of the transfer wheel is provided at its outer end with a worm wheel 68 in mesh with a worm 69 on a shaft 10 extending at a right angle to the shaft 53. The worm gearing is contained in a housing 1I on the adjacent end of the worm shaft 19, the opposite end of which shaft has its bearing in the base 59 of the bracket 58. (See Figs. 4 and 5.) Fast on the worm shaft is a sheave 12 which is operatively connected by means of a belt 13 with the sheave 1.4 on the hub 21 previously mentioned.. Inthis way the pocketed transfer wheel 64 is continuously rotated at a relatively low speed, thus causing the contentsrof the succeeding peripheral pockets to be progressively deposited, deliberately and orderly, upon the descending match contents of the vibratingA feeder trough of the packer.

In order to contribute to the efficient discharge of the matches from the lower pockets of the rotating transfer wheel its pocketed peripherypis provided with spaced circumferentialgrooves 15 into whch extend the free ends of horizontal stripper members, each consisting of a blade 16 having lateral butt lips 11 that are fastened to the underside of the ledge 54 of the collecting receptacle. The upper edge of theforward or actingportion of each of the bladesis curved,

as 18, so as to lie in close relation to the body of the wheel, while the extremity'of the blade is downwardly and rearwardly curved or inclined from the wheel body, as at T9, so as to provide a cam portion which intercepts and depresses the contents of each succeeding pocket from the rotating feed wheel and upon the underlying matches within the trough. (See Figs. and 6.)

It may be added that through the medium of the hereinbefore described connection of the elevator housing to the packer table, and of the connections of the receptacle 48, tray 34 and chutes 36 and 43 to the housing, the vibration of the table, during the operation of the packer, is transmitted to the Various elements thus supported, thereby agitating the receptacle and the pocketed wheel so as to effect the orderly settling of the matches within the receptacle, and also agitating the tray and the chutes so as to ensure the progressive descent of the matches to and their delivery in the receptacle.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular eXemplifying form thereof herein discl-osed, as the mechanism may be modified within the principle of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination with the match feeder trough of a match packing machine, means for receiving the spill from the trough and discharging the stray matches at a higher level than the trough, means for receiving the matches discharged by the first-named means, directing them toward the trough, and arranging them in parallelism with their heads pointing in the same direction, a match receptacle into which the matches thus arranged are delivered, and means for progressively transferring to said trough with their heads in the same direction as those within the trough, the matches delivered to the said receptacle.

2. In combination with the match feeder trough of a match packing machine, an elevator for receiving the spill and discharging the stray matches at a higher level than the trough, means for receiving the matches discharged by the elevator and directing them toward the trough, said means including inclined chutes arranged one behind the other and at different heights, with the lower portion of the higher chute overhanging the upper portion of the lower chute, said higher chute having in the bottom of its overhanging portion an opening of less Width, lengthwise of the chute, than'the length of a match, whereby the matches contained in the higher chute, irrespective of their head position, forward or rearward, gravitate heads downward into the lower Ichute and are therein arranged lengthwise of the latter chute and with their heads leading, a match collecting element for the matches discharged from the lower chute, said element overhanging the match feeder trough, and means for progressively transferring to said trough, with their heads in the same direction as those within the trough, the matches delivered to the collecting element.

3. In combination with the match feeder trough of a match packing machine, an elevator for receiving the spill and discharging the stray matches at a higher level than the trough, means for receiving the matches discharged by the elevator and directing them toward the trough, said means including inclined chutes arranged one behind the other and at different heights, with the lower portion of the higher chute overhanging the upper portion ofthe lower chute, said higher chute having in the bottom of its overhanging portion an opening of less width, lengthwise of the chute, than the length of a match, whereby the matches contained in the higher chute, irrespective of their head position, forward or rearward, Vgravitate heads downward into'y the lower chute and are therein arranged lengthwise ofthe latter chute and with their heads leading, a match collecting element for the matches discharged from the lower chute, said element comprising Aa hopperlike receptacle overhanging the said feeder trough, means comprising a pocketed wheel within said receptacle for progressively transferring to said trough, with their heads in the same direction as those within the trough, the matches thus delivered to the said receptacle, and means for slowly rotating said wheel.

4. In combination with the match feeder trough of a match packing machine, an elevator for receiving the spill and discharging the stray matches at a higher level than the trough, means for receiving the matches discharged by the elevator and directing them toward the trough, said means including inclined chutes arranged one behind the other and at different heights, with the lower portion of the higher chute overhanging the upper portion of the lower chute, said higher chute having in the bottom of its overhanging portion an opening of less width, lengthwise of the chute, than the length of a match, and said lower chute having at its lower end a constricted delivery portion through which the matches are lengthwise dis-v charged, with their heads pointing in the same direction as those in the feeder trough, a match collecting element for the matches discharged from the lower chute, said element overhanging the match feeder trough, and means for progressively transferring to said trough the matches delivered to the collecting element.

5. In combination with the match trough which feeds a match packing machine, means for receiving below said trough the stray matches spilled therefrom during the progress of the matches along the trough and for discharging such stray matches at a higher level than the trough, and means for receiving the stray matches discharged by the first-named means and for returning them to the trough at a position in advance of that where the stray matches escape from the trough, and with the heads of the matches pointing in the same direction, the second-named meansv including an inclined chute having in its bottom an opening of less width, lengthwise of the chute, than the length of a match, whereby the descending matches in said chute, irrespective of their head position, forward or rearward, gravitate heads downward through said opening, and also including means for intercepting the stray matches passing through the opening and for effecting the corresponding head arrangement of such stray matches in their return travel to said trough.

6. In combination with the match trough which feeds a match packing machine, means for receiving below said trough the stray matches spilled therefrom during the progress of the matches along the trough and for discharging such stray matches at a higher level than the trough, and means for receiving the stray matches discharged by the first-named means and for returning them to the trough at a position in advance of that where the stray matches escape from the trough, and with the heads of the matches pointing in the same direction, the second-named means including an inclined chute having in its, bottom an opening of less Width, lengthwise of the chute, than the length of a match, whereby the descending matches in said chute, irrpective of their head position, forward or rearward, gravitate heads downward through said opening, and also including a second inclined chute having its upper portion underlying the opening in the rstnamed chute and leading towards said trough, whereby said second chute intercepts the stray matches passing through said opening and effects the corresponding head arrangement of such stray matches in their return travel to said trough.

'7. In combination with the match trough which feeds a match packing machine, means for receiving below said trough the stray matches spilled therefrom during the progress of the matches along the trough, and for discharging such stray matches at a higher level than the trough, and means for receiving the stray matches discharged by the first-named means and for returning them to said trough at a position in advance of that where the stray matches escape from the trough, and the secondnamed means including means for effecting corresponding head arrangement of the returning matches, a match receptacle overlying the trough and arranged -to receive the returning matches, a peripherally pocketed wheel mounted to rotate in said receptacle and progressively deliver to said trough the matches contained in said receptacle, means for depressing from the wheel and upon the underlying matches within said trough the contents of each succeeding pocket during the rotation of the wheel, and means for rotating said Wheel.

FRANICLIN MOORE. 

